How to play Defense/Colonization card

[daddyotter]

I am new to the game and couldn't find an answer in the rules, when I try to play this card during political phase it gives error "must be played with military action" and when I try to play in my turn it gives error "must be played with a political action".
Is there some other card I need to play alongside this one or it only works in a certain scenario, how can I use defense/colonization?

[Ringbearer79]

Defense cards are played as a response if someone plays an aggression on you. Colonization can be played if in the political phase a colony is flipped from the event deck. You can say that the defense/colonise cards are reactive cards.

[daddyotter]

Thanks.

[daddyotter]

Defense cards are played as a response if someone plays an aggression on you. Colonization can be played if in the political phase a colony is flipped from the event deck. You can say that the defense/colonise cards are reactive cards.

In my game, a colony was flipped from the deck, and it still won't let me play the defense/colonization card. Is there something else that needs to be done, I am trying to play it by clicking and get an error advising the move is not authorized.

edit: my best guess it is some order of operation issue, I made one bid and it has come around the table to my turn and want to make second bid now, does it only let you use this card on the initial bid or something like that? The interface gives no clues!

[Ringbearer79]

To bid on a colony you need to use at least one military unit for the colonization. Did you commit any military units?

[Silene]

You don't use up any cards in the bidding process. You only use the cards after you win the bid.
So you can make your bids while having in mind that you can use your colony cards to pay if you win the bid.

So let's say you have a knight (worth 2) and 2 warriors (worth 1 each) and 3 cards for colonization +1.
You won the bids after bidding 3

Now you can pay with :
* a warrior and 2 cards or
* a knight and a card or
* 2 warriors and a card

It is NOT possible to pay with 3 cards because it's a rule that you have to pay at least one military unit when colonizing.

Unfortunately the error message is not very helpful. Maybe someone open a feature request to rephrase...

[daddyotter]

Ok, I misunderstood how the interface works then, it didn't seem possible that I could pick units and cards individually like that, there is no 'choose from these options' or highlighter on what is available to play, or even some tool tip.
Will have to test it out if I ever get that situation again by first clicking the card, then the unit, and seeing if it then allows me to click another card. Or maybe I need to click two cards first then the units?
There is no undo so it makes it tricky!

[Meeplelowda]

it didn't seem possible that I could pick units and cards individually like that, there is no 'choose from these options' or highlighter on what is available to play, or even some tool tip.

I had the exact same question when this came up in my first game (which just "completed" with one of my two opponents expelling the other). The way I interpret what's written above is that you have to bid with military units you actually have, but you can fulfill the bid using a combination of at least one military unit and Defense/Colonization cards. Is that right?

[Silene]

it didn't seem possible that I could pick units and cards individually like that, there is no 'choose from these options' or highlighter on what is available to play, or even some tool tip.

I had the exact same question when this came up in my first game (which just "completed" with one of my two opponents expelling the other). The way I interpret what's written above is that you have to bid with military units you actually have, but you can fulfill the bid using a combination of at least one military unit and Defense/Colonization cards. Is that right?

No, you just bid numbers. The max of your possible bid is the sum of values of your military units (maybe plus tactics bonus) plus sum of your colonization cards bonuses. In the bidding process you don't use anything specific. You just call the number. Only when you win you have to meet the number you said.

[Meeplelowda]

it didn't seem possible that I could pick units and cards individually like that, there is no 'choose from these options' or highlighter on what is available to play, or even some tool tip.

I had the exact same question when this came up in my first game (which just "completed" with one of my two opponents expelling the other). The way I interpret what's written above is that you have to bid with military units you actually have, but you can fulfill the bid using a combination of at least one military unit and Defense/Colonization cards. Is that right?

No, you just bid numbers. The max of your possible bid is the sum of values of your military units (maybe plus tactics bonus) plus sum of your colonization cards bonuses. In the bidding process you don't use anything specific. You just call the number. Only when you win you have to meet the number you said.

Got it. Thanks. Still taking baby steps at this game.